Ecclesiastes
Book Type
The fifth book of Wisdom; the twenty-first book of the Old Testament; the twenty-first book of the Bible.Introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes addresses the times when life doesn’t make sense—when it seems that wisdom cannot offer any satisfactory answers. The author takes an honest, unflinching look at wealth and labor, pleasure and wisdom. The speaker finally decides that they are ultimately meaningless in themselves. But the book also concludes that realizing such limitations should encourage us to approach God with awe (Eccl 12:9–14).Ecclesiastes challenges us to think deeply about very basic questions. Life and all it contains appears to be a meaningless vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. Even so, life need not be without purpose. Ecclesiastes recommends wisdom, righteous living, finding purpose in remembering our Creator, and keeping God’s commands. Then we can experience joy in the life God has given us.The Bible is never shy about confronting painful truths or hard questions. The book of Ecclesiastes faces the issue of how we can find meaning in life in light of the seemingly futile nature of everything. It will not allow the reader to retreat into superficial answers. It does not answer this problem by comforting us with hollow slogans. To the contrary, its motto is “Everything Is Futile.” But by forcing us to face the futility of human existence, it guides us to a life free of empty purpose and deceitful vindicationTheme & Overview
This wisdom teacher reveals what he has discovered about the meaninglessness of every human endeavor without God at the center of one's life.If the deep and perplexing issues of life intrigue you, you’ll appreciate Ecclesiastes. The NIV Quest Study Bible says this book shows how a life not centered on God is purposeless and meaningless. Ecclesiastes has lots of surprising elements you wouldn’t expect to find in the Bible: honest confessions of doubts, struggles with faith, and disillusionment. The prologue (1:1–11) and an epilogue (12:9–14) frame the book’s contents to reveal a proper, God-fearing attitude toward life. Watch out for isolated statements; they must be understood within the context of the whole book and, ultimately, the context of the whole Bible. The author ends with the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.Ecclesiastes makes a point of showing that life is perplexing and short (1:2–11). It also illustrates the confusion of life, questioning why the wicked prosper and injustice abounds (3:16; 4:1–5). The author shows the limitations of wisdom while affirming its importance (2:12–17; 7:1–13).Absurdity will figure prominently in life because no one can really control their life. Human life involves mourning and dancing, silence and speaking, death and healing—and true wisdom is finding contentment in all of these times (5:20).Ecclesiastes exposes the utter emptiness of life without God. The pursuits often thought to give life meaning—wealth, work, power, knowledge, and pleasure—are all fleeting. They are ultimately poor substitutes for serving God (Eccl 12). Likewise, learning cannot result in a meaningful life, because there will always be something that doesn’t make sense. As the author discovers, self-reliance and reason are deceptive devices. The pain of our struggles with futility and injustice should rightly prompt us to go to God. We must acknowledge that we cannot understand life, God, or God’s ways (3:11; 8:17).Ecclesiastes highlights the incredible peace that comes with entrusting our lives to God (3:12–14; 12:9–14). The best a person can do is to enjoy what is given to them (3:13, 22), fear and obey the God who gives life (8:10–13), and stand alongside other people (4:9–12).The results a person can achieve offer them no real advantage (5:8–20). Nothing can help a person escape the frailty of human existence—everyone dies (9:1–6). Only God can offer anything lasting (8:10–13). This point shows how desperately we need eternal relationship with God through Jesus (John 3:16–17). Everything else is just a part of the journey—and for that reason, it is always worth taking risks for God, knowing that He is the ultimate judge of everything (Eccl 11).Author
Traditionally considered to be King Solomon.Recipients
Ecclesiastes was written as both self-reflection and to record wisdom to the Jewish people. Assuming that the words are those of Solomon, they were likely written toward the end of his reign. Here, he takes the role of a teacher or preacher speaking to students. He seeks to provide wise sayings that easily register with the readers without much additional explanation. The summary message is that God is the only source of true meaning, and the true purpose for our lives. This, the author has discovered through self-experiments and great cost. In Jewish tradition, Ecclesiastes was read on the day of Pentecost.Date
If written by Solomon, Ecclesiastes was written during his reign between approximately 970—931 BC. Given its descriptions of hedonism, materialism, and frustration, it would have been penned near the end of Solomon's life.Background
The title “Ecclesiastes” comes from the Latin translation of the Hebrew term “qoheleth” in the opening verse. This word, which refers to someone who assembles a group, is often translated as “teacher” or “preacher” and sometimes just transliterated by interpreters as Qoheleth. Because the speaker describes himself as David’s son and the king in Jerusalem over all Israel (1:1, 12), Ecclesiastes has been attributed to Solomon, who was known for his wisdom and wealth (compare 1:16; 2:1–11; 12:9). This would indicate a 10th-century BC date for the work.Yet the general perspective and vocabulary of Ecclesiastes could suggest another author. When speaking of injustice, the author does not speak as someone who can do something about it, yet a king could (3:16; 4:1; 5:8–9; 7:7; 8:9). Also, the inclusion of Aramaic and Persian words—not in usage in Hebrew texts until around 539 BC—suggests a date after that time, perhaps as late as the third century BC. If the work is not composed by Solomon, then the speaker’s remarks that make him sound like Solomon are meant to place the work within the tradition of Solomon’s wisdom. There is also the possibility that some of the content originated with Solomon and later composers or editors were involved in the final form.When Israel was in its golden years of peace after David had established his empire, Solomon devoted time and energy to enhancing culture. Rather than expanding or simply defending Israel’s borders, he advanced his nation culturally with material prosperity and profound literature. In 1 Kings, we learn of Solomon’s great accomplishments in international commerce and diplomacy, agriculture, and the building of cities, fortresses, and the Temple.Rather than warring against and alienating other nations, Solomon engaged them and their literature and incorporated their modes of cultural expression into Israel’s relationship with the Lord God. Solomon’s failures are well known, but he accomplished a great deal with his God-given wisdom. Eventually, after his kingdom was split in two, the prophets came in waves to inform the people of the basic legal requirements of successfully managing God’s holy nation. During his reign, Solomon fulfilled these legal duties, and he embellished them with his instructions on managing life wisely.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
In this discourse, the Teacher addresses the broadest and most significant question of life: Is anything ultimately meaningful? As a momentary shadow or a fleeting breath, how can our lives have meaning? The Teacher contextualizes this philosophical matter within the real world of government and everyday life through which administrators and ordinary citizens must navigate.The Teacher’s message is unified, and the editor summarizes its implications (12:13–14). Life and all it contains is fleeting and apparently fraught with futility. Everything in this world is temporary, and life’s frustrations could lead to the conclusion that it is meaningless. What we do doesn’t last, and we can’t find meaning in the world itself. We will soon die and be forgotten, so we should remember how short our lives are and enjoy them while we can. These realities of a fallen world need not engender despair. We also live in a world that is ruled by God, and it has meaning and purpose in reference to him. We should keep his commands and live to please him because we will soon stand before him for judgment.The wisdom of Ecclesiastes is in coping with and even thriving in this life despite its brevity and apparent futility. Although we cannot comprehend all of God’s actions or the purpose of our lives, Ecclesiastes assures us that our sovereign God has a strong hand in all that happens, both positive and tragic. Those who trust God will take the apparent futility of life as an incentive to diligently and wisely achieve what they can while they are alive and to enjoy God’s good gifts in the process.Ecclesiastes shows us that since we and our works are futile—that is, destined to perish—we must not waste our lives trying to justify our existence with pursuits that ultimately mean nothing. Put simply, Ecclesiastes examines major endeavors of life in light of the reality of death. The book warns us about the pursuit of several different purposes in life. 1. Intellectual accomplishments. Ecclesiastes affirms that wisdom helps us cope with life, but it denies that acquiring knowledge as such is meaningful. Ultimately, the wise person and his works, like the fool and his deeds, perish. 2. Wealth and luxury. Wealth does not give life purpose. Those who pursue riches sometimes waste their lives in bitterness, anxiety, and toil. Money does matter, and Ecclesiastes affirms that we need a strategy for maintaining a basic level of prosperity. But wealth of itself is a fraudulent substitute for true contentment. 3. Politics. Political power is inherently corrupting, and the worst evils in the world are committed by cruel or incompetent people with power. At the same time, government is necessary. Ecclesiastes counsels the reader on how to survive in a world of political competition, and thus how to have a stable, peaceful life. 4. Religion. Zeal for religion also comes in for criticism in Ecclesiastes. Its two warnings are that we should not try to impress God, and we should not wear ourselves out with irrational excess. Positively, Ecclesiastes recommends that we do two things in light of the brevity of our days. 1. Enjoy life. This is not a philosophy of hedonism, nor does it involve neglect of other duties because there is a time for everything under the sun. But a life without enjoyment is no life at all. 2. Fear God. This is an honest humility before God arising from an awareness of our weakness and sin. It includes awareness of our dependence on him and a remembrance of the fact that he is our judge.CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLEEcclesiastes must be read with care because some of its verses, if read in isolation, seem to contradict other biblical teachings. It seems to deny the afterlife (3:18–22), to warn us against being too righteous (7:16), and to recommend a life of pleasure (10:19). But the real purpose of Ecclesiastes is to force us to take our mortality seriously and thus to consider carefully how we should live. Ecclesiastes knocks away all the façades by which we disguise the fact that life is short and all our accomplishments will pass away. In this sense, Ecclesiastes anticipates the NT teaching that only God’s grace, and not excessive zeal, saves us.Key Verses (ESV)
Ecclesiastes 1:2: "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Ecclesiastes 1:8: "All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."Ecclesiastes 1:18: "For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow."Ecclesiastes 2:1: "I said in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.' But behold, this also was vanity."Ecclesiastes 2:11: "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."Ecclesiastes 3:1: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'"Ecclesiastes 12:13: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."Structure & Outline 1
Ecclesiastes is a journey. It begins with a prologue (1:1–11) that introduces the Teacher (or Preacher) and his theme: Life is mysterious and seems to make no difference at all. The Teacher then describes his search for wisdom and meaning in life—a quest that ends in frustration (1:12–6:12). The second half of the book focuses on wisdom, as the Teacher begins to shift from relying primarily on reason to trusting in the personhood and ways of God (7:1–12:7). Like all things in life, wisdom ultimately comes from the Creator. An epilogue (12:9–14) sums up the words of the Teacher and the main lesson of his quest: Fear God, and obey His commandments.The idea of fearing God—viewing Him with reverence and awe—is a key part of Proverbs. Both Ecclesiastes and Proverbs are part of the genre of OT Wisdom Literature, which involves an examination of how life works and offers guiding principles for navigating it.Outline • Introduction: The theme of emptiness (1:1–11) • The search for meaning (1:12–6:12) • The Teacher’s advice (7:1–12:8) • Conclusion: Fear God, and obey His commands (12:9–14)Outline 2
While the book of Proverbs is meant to be understood in small pieces, this is not the case with Ecclesiastes. Much of the book is rhetorical—meaning it is stated in order to explore a certain idea. The final verses show the ultimate conclusion this train of thought will lead to.
Ecclesiastes includes 12 chapters broadly organized around Solomon's search for the true meaning of life. After a brief preface in Ecclesiastes 1:1¬–11, Solomon's four-part experiment unfolds. The book begins with an introduction (Ecclesiastes 1:12–18), followed by seeking meaning through pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1–11), through wisdom and folly (Ecclesiastes 2:12–17), and through work and rewards (Ecclesiastes 2:18—6:9). This focus on work is the longest section of the book, concerned with the tentative nature of the rewards of one's efforts.
Solomon's conclusions are then discussed in chapters 6—12. Solomon explains the limitations of wisdom in chapters 7—8. Themes of prosperity, suffering, justice, evil, wisdom, and rulers all have their place, yet these all create limits on what a person can know about the future.
In chapters 9—11, Solomon expresses concern over human mortality. He notes that all people die, can do nothing from the grave, do not know when they will die, or what will happen in the future. This could lead to despair, yet Solomon notes that purpose, meaning, and enjoyment of life are based on honoring God and living for Him. This, instead of pleasure or work or wisdom, is the best strategy for a life well lived (Ecclesiastes 11:7—12:8). He concludes his investigation with closing words of advice as well as information about himself as the author (Ecclesiastes 12:9—14).